What a day!

This was probably one of the worst days I've had in Paris. Woke up bright and early at seven, only to find Luq still asleep, and extremely unwilling to shake off his slumber. So, it was two-plus when we finally set off for the Catacombs.

After an hour-long journey, we got off at Denfert Rochereau - only to find the catacombs closed for the holiday. We weren't the only ones to find the door shut in our faces - as we were aimlessly looking at the map wondering what else to do that day, a steady stream of visitors kept walking up, faces falling after reading the notice taped to the entrance.

It was still early, so we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower after some hot lunch. Luq suggested that we walk towards the Notre Dame, where we had bought some halal chicken sandwiches a few weeks ago, so we proceeded to do that. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the cold had set Mr Pathfinder's compass the wrong way, for he led us in the opposite direction to where we were supposed to go. It wasn't too bad, though, cos we saw an interesting area of Paris that we had never been to, and even bought him a turtleneck along the way.

It was getting late by the time we realised we were all turned around, so we took the train back to Denfert Rochereau, intending to switch trains there and travel onwards to Bir Hakim. While waiting to purchase our tickets, this guy asked if we had change for one euro (I distinctly heard 'exchange' as he showed us one-euro coin) and then plucked a one-euro coin (the largest coin I had, by the way) right out of my palm as I was counting my change! After which he asked if it were alright if he took it. What the hell!!! I got pretty indignant, and wanted to demand my coin back, but gave up.

After this, the first leg proceeded smoothly, but at the very first stop after Denfert, our journey came abruptly to a halt. Apparently, the train wasn't continuing on, and as this French conductor informed us, and we had to backtrack and take a more roundabout route towards St Michel Notre Dame before switching trains yet again. *Sigh* I couldn't catch what she muttered about the reason for the train stoppage, but I suppose it has to do with the strike of the train workers that's going on around now.

Got pretty excited when I heard about it a few days ago, as I wanted to watch a strike in action, but Luq refused to let me go =( Said he didn't want to see me sipping coffee in a cafe watching demonstrators standing up for rights and making fun of them inwardly. Am I really so mean?

Anyway, that was when Mr Pathfinder failed us again. We had to take the train bound for Versailles Rive Gauche (coincidentally also the stop for Chateau de Versailles, which we've been planning to go to for quite a while), but when we got to a T-junction, we almost went in the opposite direction to Saint Martin d'Etamps.

Still, we managed to get there alright, but the queue was really really really long! If this is what the crowd is like in the "off-peak" season, I shudder to see the throngs during the peak tourist period.

Feeling really really hungry by now, so we bought two crepes at a crepe stand opposite the tower. As befitted its status as a tourist trap, the crepes were exorbitant and skimped on the ingredients, with their sole redeeming feature their heat. The warmth was really welcome to my frozen fingers - which were feeling the weather even through my gloves!

Luq had commented just this morning that showers in this part of France were "wimpy" - but as though in response, we were caught in a very sudden. very heavy downpour almost immediately after we finished our crepes.

I was soaked in just a few minutes, and so were my poor feet, as my boots were not waterproof. Luq, however, was still fairly dry. Argh!!! At this moment, the brasserie at the junction opposite seemed a veritable beacon of warm cosiness, but we had to take a roundabout to reach it, there being no direct crossing. Brrrr.

Got in out of the cold at long last, and I headed straight for a corner seat which would have given us a good view of the rain outside. The garcon, though, refused to seat us there, and gave us a table on the inside. *Sigh* All I wanted was a place out of the rain, so I didn't raise a fuss.

We ordered a dozen escargots and an onion soup for Luq. The soup was pretty good - seriously, though I hate onions, but the escargots tasted pretty flat. The ones we had in KL were way better. As Luq put it, "I've tasted better sea snails."

Walking leisurely over one of the Seine bridges after dinner, we were accosted by this swarthy-looking guy who kept shoving a rose at me. Think the cold had dulled my wits, cos I thought he was giving them out as he had closed for the day and just wanted to get rid of his stock. I refused to take it a few times, but he just kept getting more insistent. Then, when I finally took it (and thanked him for it too!) he turned right around and asked Luq for three euro! That was tacky, man.

Moving on, we decided to take some shots of the Eiffel Tower from across the river. This time, as we were setting up our shots, a man crossed the road, and offered to take photos of the two of us. It was really cold, and dark besides, so it would have been really hard to take a good picture, so I refused. But he kept insisting, and even exclaimed loudly that it was free. Strange. Given our luck today, he'd probably have run away with the camera!